The Gio Chandelier Pays Homage to Nichetto’s Murano Roots

How we remember history often says much about ourselves, and how we share those stories says even more. Luca Nichetto presents the Gio chandelier lamp for &Tradition, an ode to storied Italian designer Gio Ponti as well as his grandfather, who was a glassworker in Murano, Italy. Stripping the traditional chandelier down to its basic elements – just as Ponti did, changing the world of design – so does Nichetto with Gio. Graphic elements and minimally visible wiring allow a three-tiered assembly of triangles to seemingly float in space, proudly wearing their timelessly stylish glossy coloring.

Gio Ponti was a legendary designer, architect, and writer, working with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Knoll, Poltrona Frau, and Cassina, with whom he produced his iconic Superleggera Chair in 1957. With a career spanning six decades, he is responsible for shaping subsequent generations of designers, a prolific teacher determined to deliver the message of sophistication, democracy, and modernity. This legacy is elegantly represented in the Gio lamp, Nichetto’s penchant for distillation clearly demonstrated.

The Gio chandelier pays homage to Ponti’s design philosophy through its bold color combinations and refined geometric forms. Its three conical layers gradually increase in size, echoing the artisanal glassmaking heritage of the Venetian islands. The chandelier’s simplified shapes and striking hues capture Ponti’s signature balance of minimalism and vibrancy. Available in two sizes and two color versions – Vermillion Red, Dark Burgundy, and Ecru White or Signal Green, Deep Blue, and Ecru White – it seamlessly blends subdued tones with vivid accents, fusing tradition with a contemporary, playful spirit.

The Gio lamp distributes light both up and down, subtley emitting from two tiers upwards, while a beam of light escapes downwards through the largest cone, which has a hole at the tip.

Luca Nichetto works in multiple media, inspired by the tradition and possibility of Italian design. Drawn to product design, architecture, and consulting work, his eponymous design studio has grown immensely from partnerships with brands and organizations across the globe. Proud to name collaboration as one of the tenets of his success, he states in the studio’s manifesto, “We think holistically – an idea becomes a product, evolving into different versions that become a collection, then a series – and eventually a brand’s DNA.” True holistic design requires extensive communication, a concept deftly expressed here through light.

At the &Tradition office, every day at a quarter past noon, chef Søren Westh prepares a meal for all members of the team, a ritual that has continued to foster connections beyond the office. This nourishment, literal and social, exemplifies the values of living well by design. Fostering mindful practices often lost in the shuffle, &Tradition seeks to bring people together through unforgettable culinary experiences.

To learn more about the Gio lamp by Luca Nichetto, visit andtradition.com.

Photography courtesy of &Tradition.